Embodiments described herein provide various designs of multi-frequency radio frequency identification (RFID) tags which are compact in size and tamper-proofing. In one aspect, a proposed multi-frequency RFID tag includes both a high frequency (HF) subsystem and an ultra-high frequency (UHF) subsystem. The HF subsystem and the UHF subsystem share a common integrated circuit (IC) chip and a common substrate. The HF subsystem further includes a HF loop antenna coupled to the IC chip. The UHF subsystem further includes a coupling antenna electrically coupled to the IC chip but electrically isolated from the HF loop antenna. The UHF subsystem also includes an UHF antenna having a region for receiving the RFID module. When the RFID module is positioned within the receiving region of the UHF antenna, the UHF antenna is coupled to the IC chip in the RFID module via the coupling antenna, thereby forming the UHF subsystem.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A multi-frequency radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, comprising: a RFID module configured to be physically removed from the RFID tag, the RFID module including, an integrated circuit (IC) chip, a first antenna coupled to the IC chip and formed of conductive ink, the first antenna being operable in a first frequency range, and a coupling antenna coupled to the IC chip; and a second antenna formed of conductive ink and communicatively coupled to the IC chip via wireless coupling to the coupling antenna and configured to operate in a second frequency range.
2. The multi-frequency RFID tag of claim 1 , wherein the first frequency range comprises a high frequency (HF) range.
3. The multi-frequency RFID tag of claim 1 , wherein the second frequency range comprises an ultra-high frequency (UHF) range.
4. The multi-frequency RFID tag of claim 1 , wherein the second antenna comprises an aperture configured to receive the detachable RFID module.
5. The multi-frequency RFID tag of claim 4 , wherein the first antenna, the second antenna, and the coupling antenna are formed from conductive ink.
6. The multi-frequency RFID tag of claim 1 , wherein the second antenna is operable to inductively couple to the IC chip via the coupling antenna.
7. The multi-frequency RFID tag of claim 1 , wherein the multi-frequency RFID tag is inoperable in the second frequency range when the detachable RFID module is physically separated from the second antenna.
8. The multi-frequency RFID tag of claim 1 , wherein the coupling antenna is disposed within the first antenna on the substrate.
9. The multi-frequency RFID tag of claim 1 , wherein the IC chip comprises: an analog input unit having a dual-frequency interface module communicatively coupled to the first antenna and the coupling antenna; a memory operable to store identification information; and a digital control unit communicatively coupled to the analog input unit and the memory.
10. The multi-frequency RFID tag of claim 1 , wherein the first antenna comprises a first end and a second end electrically coupled to the chip via dielectric ink and wherein the conductive ink is deposited over the dielectric ink to create a jumper over the dielectric ink to couple the coupling antenna to the chip.
11. A multi-frequency radio frequency identification (RFID) tag comprising: a removable chip module, physically removable from the RFID tag, the removable chip module having, a substrate, a digital control unit, a high-frequency (HF) antenna coil printed on the substrate and communicatively coupled to the digital control unit, and an ultra-high frequency (UHF) coupling loop electrically coupled to the digital control unit; and a UHF antenna communicatively coupled to the digital control unit via inductive coupling to the UHF coupling loop.
12. The multi-frequency RFID tag of claim 11 , wherein detaching the removable chip module from the antenna renders the multi-frequency RFID tag inoperable with respect to at least communications via the UHF antenna.
13. The multi-frequency RFID tag of claim 11 , wherein the HF antenna coil is tuned to operate in a near field communication (NFC) system.
14. The multi-frequency RFID tag of claim 11 , wherein one or more of the HF antenna coil, the UHF coupling loop, and the UHF antenna are formed from conductive ink.
15. The multi-frequency RFID tag of claim 11 , wherein the HF antenna coil is positioned inside the UHF coupling loop.
16. The multi-frequency RFID tag of claim 11 , wherein the UHF loop is positioned inside the HF antenna coil.
17. A removable multi-frequency radio frequency identification (RFID) module, comprising: a substrate; an integrated circuit (IC) chip disposed on the substrate; a high frequency (HF) antenna electrically coupled to the IC chip and formed of conductive ink on the substrate; and a coupling antenna electrically formed of conductive ink and coupled to the IC chip and disposed on the substrate, the coupling antenna being operable to inductively couple the IC chip to a second antenna of an antenna assembly configured to receive the removable multi-frequency RFID module, the second antenna being operable in an ultra-high frequency (UHF) range.
18. The multi-frequency RFID module of claim 17 , wherein the coupling antenna is positioned inside the HF antenna.
19. The multi-frequency RFID module of claim 17 , wherein the HF antenna is positioned inside the coupling antenna.
20. The multi-frequency RFID tag of claim 17 , wherein the IC chip further includes: an analog input unit, which further includes a dual-frequency interface module communicative coupled to the HF antenna and the coupling antenna; a memory configured to store identification information; and a digital control unit coupled between the analog input unit and the memory.
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March 26, 2019
June 9, 2020
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